ABSTRACT
Libraries have an almost unique opportunity to 'legitimise' a mass of cultural material and the interest of many publics. Public library activity in the 1990s was punctuated by three key reports which in different ways scrutinized the service and moved it into new directions. This chapter examines the notion of the library as a physical place, and addresses fundamental dilemmas for public librarians. A key financial influence on public libraries was in the area of stock supply, and this was the termination of the publishers' Net Book Agreement (NBA) in 1997. Frank Fishwick and Lindsey Muir of Cranfield University document the effect of the NBA's demise on library book-buying and note that the bargaining power of public libraries increased significantly after the end of the NBA. In the 1990s the Government placed a high priority on promoting social inclusion. Department for Culture Media and Sport provides libraries with clear guidelines to respond to the inclusion agenda and to generate change.
